This is a fitting reply by the High Court to our politicians who are callous towards the requirements of law enforcement personnel.

Quote:

Withdraw Chavan's security, give him Karkare's jacket: High court

Hetal Vyas / DNA Friday, December 11, 2009 1:35 IST

Mumbai: Chief minister Ashok Chavan had recently told the media that the bulletproof jackets of the police force, including the one worn by slain Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare on the night of 26/11, were quite safe.

The Bombay high court said on Thursday that Chavan should be given the bulletproof jacket worn by Karkare, and his security be withdrawn. The court was hearing a public interest litigation [PIL] by Santosh Daundkar, whose RTI query has revealed several irregularities in the purchase of the substandard jackets by the officials concerned.

A division bench of Justice JN Patel and Justice Amjad Sayed told the state to reply to the allegations of substandard bulletproof jackets being procured for the police force. It was because of these substandard jackets that top cops like Karkare, additional commissioner of police Ashok Kamte, and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar died during last year's terror attack, the PIL has said.

The petition has gone on to add that a sensitive file, containing incriminating information about senior public servants, was lost. It has also listed 16 blatant violations of the prescribed rules during the purchase of the jackets.

On Thursday, the petitioner's lawyer, YP Singh, told the court that following the Mazgaon court order, an FIR had been lodged in the case of the "missing" jacket of Karkare. He added that the purchase of the "substandard" bulletproof jackets in 2003 had been okayed by the then chief minister.

Daundkar has alleged in his petition that the state government instead of taking action against the "guilty officers", hadgone out of its way to protect them. "The categorical statement issued by the chief minister [Ashok Chavan] clearly indicates that there is a resolve to keep the fraud under wraps," the petition states.

"These bulletproof jackets were worn by senior police officers, who were under the impression that they would be able to fight the terrorists with adequate protection. However, when the terrorists fired at the cops, the bullets pierced the vests killing three officers," it adds. The petitioner has sought a CBI inquiry in the purchase scam.

Mumbai: The mystery of the missing bullet-proof jacket of anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, who was killed by terrorists on the night of 26/11, has been solved. More or less.

The jacket has not been found, but a 35-year-old sweeper working with the state-run JJ Hospital has said that on November 27, 2008, he had mistakenly put the jacket along with non-medical waste bags, which were later sent to the Deonar dumping ground.
"Since a case has been filed to look into the missing bullet-proof jacket, the witness on Tuesday recorded his statement in front of metropolitan magistrate AD Kshirsagar at the 23rd Esplanade Court," a senior police officer told DNA.

According to the police, Dinesh Lalji Gataar said that on the morning of November 27 he saw several bodies and heaps of non-medical waste lying in one of the rooms of the hospital.

Gataar reportedly told the court that when he was cleaning the operation theatre on the morning after the terror attacks, he had come across a heap of bio-medical waste and a bulletproof jacket (believed to be the one Karkare was wearing).

"Gataar told the court that his work was to stack bio-medical and non-medical waste in plastic bags. According to his statement, there were 18 red or black plastic bags. All medical waste related to Aids patients is discarded in red bags, while non-Aids-related waste is dispatched in black bags. Gataar dumped the jacket in a black plastic bag and this was presumably transported to the Deonar dump for disposal," said the officer.

A team from the crime branch went scouring for the jacket a couple of months ago, but did not find anything. "In all probability, the jacket is lost forever because normally bio-medical waste is disposed of faster by the dumping ground as compared to other waste," the officer said.

After Gataar came forward with his revelation, the Mumbai crime branch informed the magistrate that he would be recording a statement under section 164 of the CrPC. This statement is legally valid, and should thus put an end to all conspiracy theories about the disappearance of the jacket. "Even the case registered to inquire into the missing jacket is now likely to be quashed," the officer added.

However, the police are still trying to find out why Gataar took so long to appear before the police and reveal the mystery behind the missing jacket. "We will question him and also the hospital staff as to who was responsible for dumping the jacket along with the medical waste," the officer said.

Charchu,
I remember seeing a TV documentary about our SPG guys who provide security to these politicians. They need to have a % of at least 90% hits in their shooting exam to make it to SPG Group.
Just introduce 100% reservation in this group and that should do the trick.(allow Sc/St to pass with even 0 % of hits)

__________________
An oft quoted Gandhian phrase is that if all were to follow an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, then the world would go blind. The counter to that is that if only some follow this and others don't then it is the non-violent who would go blind while the rogues will rule the world.

Charchu,
I remember seeing a TV documentary about our SPG guys who provide security to these politicians. They need to have a % of at least 90% hits in their shooting exam to make it to SPG Group.
Just introduce 100% reservation in this group and that should do the trick.(allow Sc/St to pass with even 0 % of hits)

90% is just not enough. you need 99% hits like secret service and its western counterparts

Mumbai: The controversy regarding slain anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare's missing bulletproof jacket refuses to die down. A news channel on Friday flashed a video footage of Dinesh Lalji Gataar, a sweeper from JJ Hospital, saying he was allegedly offered Rs50,000 by crime branch officers to give a statement that he had disposed of the jacket in the garbage bags.

However, speaking to DNA, Gataar said, "The crime branch officers took me to their office and questioned me in the vehicle. They asked me if I had hid the jacket or sold it to someone for money."

Gataar, a grade IV staffer, added: "They told me that they would pay the amount and get the jacket back, if I had sold it to someone and even give me Rs50,000 if I told them the truth."

Gataar who had reported to duty at 6am on November 27, 2008 to the hospital said, "I told them that I had not disposed of the jacket. I had kept it in a plastic bag in ward no 4."

According to the Gataar, he found the blood-stained jacket in a pile of medical waste in ward number 4. After segregating the garbage, he put the jacket in a separate black bag and put it in a corner of the ward. "I threw the garbage bags in the dumping yard and left the jacket in the ward as it was very heavy. I don't know what happened to it after that as it was my day off on November 28," he said.